Penn experts link political violence to misinformation, polarization after Charlie Kirk shooting
Attendees flee moments after a gun shot rang out during a rally by conservative influencer Charlie Kirk Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
The Daily Pennsylvanian
Following the murder of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, University of Pennsylvania experts spoke to The Daily Pennsylvanian about the role of political violence in American life — both past and present — warning that misinformation and polarization are exacerbating the problem.
Penn faculty members universally agreed that political violence has long been part of United States history, from clashes on the congressional floor in the mid-1800s to the racialized politics of the Jim Crow era. But professors told the DP that what distinguishes the current period is how the rapid spread of information intensifies public reactions and exacerbates partisan divides.
In today’s political environment, faculty members argued, isolated acts of violence can reverberate far beyond those directly involved — and foster distrust in public institutions while deepening polarization.
Political Science professor and Director of the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy Jeffrey Green emphasized that the current moment cannot be understood without remembering how frequently violence has marked U.S. politics in the past.
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